LOGINXlynor's POVThe sorceresses looked confused.“Everything I said constitutes the terms and the rules we will be working with going forward if you want a peaceful partnership,” I said. “And do arrange that meeting within two weeks.” I met each of their faces in turn. “I’m not a patient man.”The middle woman tried to hold her composure, but failed. She shook her head. “We cannot arrange a meeting with our lady for you simply because you've demanded one. It doesn't work like that. And you've been disrespectful to us from the moment we arrived. You're not even listening—”“Communicate your feelings, thoughts, and decisions to my Beta.” I stood and stepped off the loading dock. “You better keep it vague. I'm done here.”I began walking away, but the man behind the combat lady made a short contemptuous sound. The same man who had been watching me with a specific look of disgust. “Arrogant bastard.” He snorted.I pretended not to hear and kept walking.“You possess something that doesn’t be
Xlynor's POVI left the warehouse district and teleported to the freight yard. Seven minutes on foot. Two seconds by teleportation.I materialized at the edge of the freight yard and the smell hit first — rust and old diesel. The collapsed overpass loomed behind me, concrete ribs jutting upward like something half-buried. In front of me, the yard sat hidden behind rows of abandoned factories.Rusted train tracks split the cracked ground into long, uneven lanes, shipping containers stacked into towering columns like tombstones for commerce, a derailed freight car swallowed on one side by weeds, broken forklifts and scattered cargo pallets littered around.Nobody wandered here by accident. More importantly, Ivara would never see any of it.House Velmora had followed us from the moment we left the barracks gate, and I'd been aware long before Ivara spotted the car. What I hadn't been certain of was whether they wanted me, her, or something entirely different.The moment they stayed with
Ivara's POVI yanked the seatbelt off so fast the metal tongue clattered against the frame, then I surged up and grabbed the edge of the door before Xlynor could slam it shut.“You know you're a terrible liar, right?” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. “You really suck at it.”He turned back, brow furrowed. “I didn't lie.” A beat. “But you're observant. I do lie a lot, even when there's no need to, because I don't really care what the other person thinks. You have to earn it, and there's nothing you can do once I decide to lie.” He clicked his tongue, a smug smile tugging at his lips.“Seriously?” His shamelessness and complete lack of remorse were unbelievable. “What a shameful attitude.”He tilted his head. “Ten minutes and I'll be right back, McKenna.” He tried to shut the door again.I refused to let the door close as my hand stayed locked around the door. “You’re not just going to leave me here, in the middle of nowhere, with no explanation!”I expected him to say somethin
Xlynor's POVThe city blurred into streaks of houses, glass, and lights. Cars scattered as I slipped between lanes with barely inches to spare. Suddenly, a truck drifted into my path, but I didn't touch the brake, just flicked the wheel and slipped through a gap so narrow the truck's side mirror folded in from the wind of my passing.Behind me, one of the bikes clipped the truck's front corner. It wobbled but didn't go down, which was good. At least now they knew who they were dealing with.The SUV couldn’t keep up. They clearly hadn’t planned for this outcome.“Slow down!” Ivara's voice had changed completely, all thrill gone. “We're going to die — you're going to kill me! I don't want to die with you! Slow down!”I could tell the highway wasn't going to work in my favor. There was too much visibility and too many options for them to flank. I needed narrower ground.I cut across three lanes without braking. Horns erupted in a wave behind us. The exit ramp came up fast, and I took it
Xlynor's POVShe rejected me.Ivara just rejected me, and it baffled me that she could do that.I moved back to the front seat in disbelief and sat with that for a moment.How could she reject my offer like that?Nobody rejected me. That had never happened. Of course, I was Xlynor Darkazov — Alpha, demigod, the man people built rumors about because the truth was worse — and she'd looked at my offer for less than a second before saying no like she was turning down a menu item she didn't like.It felt like a slap across the face I couldn’t just sit with. How could she?I turned to look at her, but she was back to sipping her drink. Both drinks, alternating, and completely unbothered like nothing had happened. Like she hadn't just rejected me.“You're really —” I caught myself and hit my palm against the steering wheel instead. “Fuck!”The thing was, it wasn't about the kiss anymore. It was the hurt of the rejection that was sitting in my chest like something inedible I'd accidentally s
Xlynor's POVIvara didn't respond because she was already distracted by the contents of the box and kept turning it and staring at it in admiration. “It's mine? Like actually mine? This belongs to me? I don't think I want to sell it. It's so beautiful.”“There's only one of it in all of Athynra, and I got it,” I said. “So if you try to sell it, whoever you approach will either think it's fake or think you stole it from me.”“I said I'm not selling it.” She sounded genuinely offended. “I haven't thought it through yet.”I nodded, glancing at the mirror. She was holding it up, and tilting it. The earlier red in her face was replaced by awe and admiration and then a soft, delighted laugh escaped her. For a moment, she looked completely lost in it.“So,” I said, turning back to the road. “I've been thinking.”“About what?” she cut in excitedly.“Let me finish.” I adjusted my grip on the wheel. “I thought about it carefully. It was something I suddenly thought of after you left the yard, a
IVARA“He wouldn’t let me into his manor, yet he brought this thing here and even gave her a room? Who the hell is she?”The rants and screams filtering into my ear forced me awake. I stirred, my eyes fluttering open
Xlynor's POV “Huh?” Her doe eyes glanced around, unsure if my words were meant for her. I caught her chin, forcing her trembling gaze to meet mine. She shivered slightly.The moment our eyes locked, I felt an energy shift that made even my demons stir. The air thickened between us. “I can’t hear
Xlynor’s POV “You know how much I hate repeating myself, Aaron,” I muttered, my gaze fixed outside the window. “You and I both know this isn’t everything you stole.”“My Lord, please forgive me. I wasn’t in the right state of mind. I needed to sort my mother's bill and it was my only option. Pleas
IVARANo, this shouldn't be happening. Not after everything I went through just to escape.“Father!” I yelled, struggling with the guards who were trying to rip my clothes off me. Of course, they'd obey him, the almighty Gamma.Father stopped in his tracks, then spun around. Even the guards paused.







